The New World Order
by rachmcsp
Summary: The summer after the Tri-Wizard Tournament was hard, his school mate was dead, his relatives hated him, his friends wouldn't reply to any of his owls and he all around felt miserable. Or he was until Romulus Mayfield had come into his life, showing him that he was more than just the Boy Who Lived.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

It was another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and for once in his life Harrison James Potter wished that he could be back on Privet Drive instead of trying to find an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. He didn't want to be back with his relatives mind you, he wanted to be back with the friend that he had made that treated him like family even though he had known him for a summer. After coming home from the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry was different, he felt older somehow and it showed. After being forced to compete with students years older than you than having to watch one of them die right before your eyes coupled with the most intense summer of your young life changes you in ways others can not comprehend. Harry had learned things about his family; both sides of it and himself that he wished he hadn't but that knowledge is better known than unknown. When he finally finds a lone compartment in the back of the Express he is grateful and uses every locking and silencing spell he knows to make sure no one disturbs him.

Being alone on the train gave him plenty of time to reflect.

His best friends were not how they used to be, that much he could tell. Ron who had been his best friend since meeting on this very train had finally shown him his true colors which Harry didn't like and would no longer tolerate. The same Ron who had been through every trial with him let him down when he was needed the most, making the last three year for naught. Hermione was another story, while she was a good friend, a better friend than even Ron she would have to pick a side and he did not want that for his friend, though he would never make her choose he knew that Ron would and on principle she would shun Ron just for making her choose between them but that would not make her happy. He had known them both long enough to know how they feel about the other even though everyone assumed else wise. He just wants her to know how grateful he has been to have her as a friend, someone who would follow him to hell and he wouldn't even have to ask.

Not that he ever would.

He understood at a young age that his life would get more difficult as he got older, he knew that it was no good to day dream about things that didn't stand a chance of happening. It just wasn't written in the cards for him, not anytime soon anyways. In all honesty, Harrison wanted to give up, throw himself off the face of the earth and let the wizarding population of Britain fend for themselves. Considering the life span of an average wizard Harrison was still just a baby who was learning to walk and the only person who seemed to understand that was Romulus Mayfield; an old man who saw a young boy who looked like he had the weight of the world on his scrawny shoulders. On that first day they meet Romulus saw something in him, something that made him want to help. Anyone who looked at Harrison could see that he was lost; looking for someone to guide him the right direction, looking for that positive constant that he had been lacking his entire life. But if Romulus Mayfield had anything to do with it, Harrison Potter would have what he didn't know he had been searching for.

Harrison had shared things with Romulus that he never told Dumbledore or Molly Weasley, the woman who had been like a mother to him since his second year of Hogwarts or Ron and Hermione, things that they would never know about now. Thinking about his former friends just made him wish he could go back home to the Mayfield house with Romulus. Harrison thanked whatever deities were out there everyday for bringing that man into his miserable life, he let him into his life letting him know that he didn't have to go back to Dursley's if he didn't want to. Romulus had given him his own room, treated him just a grandson, something Harrison never expected but appreciated nonetheless.

Harrison had changed into his robes as soon as he got settled into his compartment. He had spent the whole train ride sleeping, something he hadn't gotten a lot of in the past few months, there was always something keeping him up at night. When the Hogwarts Express was stationed at Hogsmead Harrison wasted no time in making his way over to the carriages, he didn't care where he sat with as long as it was neither Ron nor Hermione, the carriage was filled with third year Ravenclaw students who didn't see the need for making pointless conversation which Harrison was grateful for. Harrison wasn't sure what to feel as he slowly approached the magnificent castle known as Hogwarts, for a long time this had been his sanctuary from the Dursley's, but know he sees it as some place he wished he didn't have to go, to many bad things have happened to him here, and after meeting Romulus and Calla he noticed how the bad seemed outweigh the good. The only reason he had come back was because of Romulus, if he ever wanted to get a job, he would need to pass his seventh year.

After the rigorous training regime that Romulus had put him through he was sure that he would be able to pass his seventh year exams today if given the chance but he was sure that news would travel and Dumbledore would try to put a stop to it. Harrison also did not want the attention on him, he is hoping to go through this year unnoticed, but he wasn't so sure it would happen, not when he decided that he was going to hold nothing back. He would not let all of his and Romulus' hard work go to waste, not after all the time they could put in under the time compression ward they put the house under. Romulus had taught him more that summer than he would ever learn in all seven years at Hogwarts, things that should be taught at any school for young witches and wizards.

Romulus had started him on basic magical theory all the way up to advanced magical theory. Which Harrison had found dull like many others have but by the end of the course he liked to believe that he was in a on an obvious secret that to many people were obvious to see. There had been a lot of reading and a lot of discussions and even though he didn't particularly like the subject he was better for it, he never understood how complex magic seemed to be, it was just something that he always had, something that he now seemed to take for granted after the surprised and excitement wore off. From there they had moved on to the custom and traditions of the old ways that not many held dear anymore. Most of them were lost through the ages and others were left in favour of muggle traditions that muggle born and half blood students have brought with them. Harrison was sad to know that many of the seasonal customs that held a real meaning in the wizarding world were lost for something that nothing to many people. Harrison swore to himself that he would honour the customs and traditions that have been lost.

Next on the never ending list was Politics and Diplomacy which Harrison wasn't that thrilled about. He had no desire to ever go into politics but Romulus had assured him it was something that he would be thankful for in the long run, being in the public eye as much as he is, it is a given that he will need to know how to handle himself in a room full of foxes looking out for their best interest even if they have to use him to get it. Also being the heir to an Ancient and Noble house there was a certain way that he had to carry himself; certain parties that he needed to attend to meet the right kind of people. The last thing he had been taught by Romulus before a three day break was the History of Wizarding Britain. Harrison was amazed by the amount of knowledge that Romulus held inside that old head of his. At the time he didn't understand why he had to go back to Hogwarts when Romulus could teach him everything he had to know and so much more.

Harrison had spent his free time talking with Romulus, getting to know him more. Much like Harrison he didn't like to talk about himself, so he settled for the wife he lost during the war. He listened to the tales of Orla Mayfield with rapt attention. Harrison could see the far away look in his eyes as the man talked about his lost soul. He said that he and Orla were each half of the same soul. He had build a shrine to her, all of their memories together, her most precious treasures that she could never seem to part with, all laid neatly in the closet of Romulus' bedroom.

Once Harrison got back to studying they started off with Arithmancy, a class that Harrison could have lived without but like the good student that he now was he sucked up his annoyance and did the work requested of him, he remembered how much Hermione loved this class and he could see why she loved it, there were not many things were a challenge to her these days, something she needed. For the first few days it was kicking Harrison's ass before he asked Romulus to break it down into simpler terms so he could get the hang of it first. After the nightmare that was Arithmancy was over they moved on to charms. Romulus was a great teacher, he taught in a way that was easy to understand, letting you find your own way of learning the information and Harrison seemed to be a quick learner, he began picking up the material rather quickly, even the advanced charms that he knew would have given him trouble before. After surpassing the seventh year curricular they had they moved on to Transfiguration. This process continued through Defence, Herbology and Potions. They had decided to forgo Astronomy seeing as neither of them ever saw the point of it.

And since they still had time before Hogwarts started Romulus had taught him Occlumency, healing magic and Parseltongue; something that had caught them off guard, both of them had been trying to gain the attention of the little garden snakes that were littering the green house. He was taught to speak and write it fluently like he had been doing it his entire life. They taught him what it meant to be a Parseltongue and how everything Dumbledore told him was a lie. That is family magic and can only be passed down by blood. For all Romulus knew Harrison could be a distant relation of his. One trip to Gringotts Bank answered all of their questions. Everything that Dumbledore had ever told him was a lie, and Harrison was going to confront him about it if it was the last thing he ever did.

Harrison wasn't sure what he wanted to do when they finally made it to the castle. Did he want to sit in the Great Hall and wait for Ron and Hermione to find him or did he just want to go to his room for the night. Harrison decided that he was going to skip the Great Hall and head straight to the dorm, but not before speaking to the Head Boy for the password. Once he was finished getting all of this things organized the way he wanted he called Dobby to him, hoping to get some food from the kitchen. After his usual spiel about the greatness that is Harrison James Potter and large tears spilling out of his large green eyes when he was thanked he popped out of the room giving Harrison is much needed space though he had never minded Dobby's company.

Harrison smiled at the spot where Dobby had stood. He knew that the small creature would be coming in handy this year and the following two. And who knew, maybe when school was finished Dobby would want to work for him, its all the small elf ever talked about to the other elves in the kitchen how one day he would become the Potter's elf. When his food was finished he set it on the bedside table knowing that one of the elves would take it in the morning. He took out his pyjamas and headed to the showers, wanting to wash off the train ride before climbing into bed. Once he was inside his blankets he put a sticking charm on his curtains before placing a silencing charm so he will not be able to hear anyone who comes into the room.


	2. Little Talks

**Chapter One: Little Talks**

Harrison was pacing the common room waiting for Hermione to make her way down the stairs. He had woken up extra early to be sure that he would catch the girl by herself; he didn't need an audience for the scene that was most likely about to unfold. Harrison knew that this would hurt his friend but it needed to be done, he loved Hermione like he was sure he would love a sister if he had the pleasure of having on. After ten minutes of relentless pacing he moved to sit down in the large chair across from the fireplace.

"Harry?" said the soft voice of Hermione Granger from behind him, not startling him like it would have a few months ago. "Where have you been? You've had me worried to death!" she berated him like a mother would, moving around the bulky chair quickly to wrap him in a hug.

He waited until she pulled away and made room for her on the chair to sit next to him, even though he knew he was in very close proximity to her right hand, which she would no doubt use to slap him by the time he was done talking. He smiled at her sadly; he knew that this was the closest they were going to be in a while. "I've been where I always am. I am not allowed off Privet Drive remember there are wards keeping me there."

"We had went for you, they said they haven't seen you all summer." It was a statement but Hermione was waiting for an answer all the same and when she was answered with a blank stare she continued with, "where were you Harry?" she was worried for him just like she'd always been.

"That's not important right now Hermione. I want to tell you something and I do not want any interruptions until I'm done." Harrison looked at her, watching as she nodded her head in agreement. "I have learnt a lot about myself this summer, and where I come from. And one of these things that I have learnt about myself is that I can no longer be friends with Ron." He saw Hermione go to open her mouth. "And before you say anything, I thought that things could continue the way they have been, but I realized that I didn't want that, I realized that I don't want to be his friend. The tournament made me realized that yes Ron has always been there for me and I will never forget that, but I am not the same as I used to be, and I can not go back to the way I was, I can not forgive him.

"Me and Ron we will clash and we will fight and it's not worth it, we have been friends for five years. I know that Ron will never understand, but its something that I have to do for myself. You know how Ron gets, everything is a competition with him, all of his life he had his five brothers to complete with, he will always live in their shadow unless he doesn't something about it, he is jealous of everyone and I never wanted him to feel any less around me, I was trying to be a good friend, and by doing that I was letting myself down because I was not trying to my hardest. And even though you thought you were hiding it well I know that you didn't like it that time I did better than you on our _History of Magic _test. But I refuse to do that now. Ron has never taken anything seriously and that is what I need right now. He says that he wants to be an Auror but he is not helping himself by slacking off, this is the year where we are supposed to decide what we want to do with our lives and than figure out a way to get there.

"I know what I want to with the rest of life, and honestly, I can not see Ron there, not with his personality. He wants fame and glory, he wants everyone to know it name, and yet he is doing nothing memorable." He lets out a sad sigh wishing that he didn't have to let go of the boy he had known for five years, the first friend he ever had. "You have been like a sister to me for a long time and we both know that how Ron gets and I don't want to see you choose between us so stay with Ron I think he needs the guidance more than I now."

Hermione understands quickly and looks at Harrison in horror. She could not believe that this was the boy that she had grown up with, shared experiences with that no one would ever hear about. "Ronald may make me choose, but you are not even giving me a choice Harry." She cried, not wanting to believe a word he is saying. "Besides, even if he did make me choose, why do you think I would choose him?"

Harrison smiles at her. "I know you wouldn't for the simple fact that he made you choose in the first place, but I am not saying that he would. Hermione, when you see yourself in the future what do you see?"

"I see you, and me and Ron, still best friends like we have always been. I see us all sending our children off to Hogwarts for the first time. I see us all getting to other on Thursdays to catch up with one another after a busy week at work."

"And who do you see yourself married to, whose kids are you sending off to Hogwarts?" he asked her.

"I don't know Harry! He nameless and faceless because I haven't met him yet." She wipes at her tears and than looks to Harrison, clarity dawning in her eyes. She smiles at the stupid boy before laughing. "Ron and I are never going to get together Harry. Despite whatever you thought I have no romantic interests in Ronald. Ron doesn't like me either."

Now its Harrison's turn to laugh wondering how such a smart witch could be so stupid at the best of times. While it wasn't love Ron certainly had a major crush on Hermione since the end of their second year. "Ron has had a crush on you since second year; you're the only one who hadn't noticed Hermione. And besides you don't want to be standing beside me after I do what I have to do." He told her.

"Again Harry, isn't that my decision as well. if I want to follow you to the end of the world I will because it's the choice I had made for myself." She didn't understand why Harrison wasn't listening to her. "Why must I choose? I can be friends with the both of you! And if I did choose between you it will have been my choice and something that we all have to live with." Her voice was fierce; she had stood up from the chair just so that she could tower over the taller boy, placing her hands on her hips. "Now that we have that covered are you going to tell me where you have been?"

Harrison just smiled at his best friend, glad that she wanted to stay. "I have been across the street the entire summer."

Hermione looked at him like he was simple, like he should have been anywhere but. "Across the street, seriously?" she asked, not really believing as she sat back down beside Harrison in the chair.

"Yeah, Romulus had been a great help, he had even encouraged me to take _Ancient Runes_ and _Arithmancy_ this year." He said proudly.

"That's wonderful Harry, but are you sure you want to do that considering that you'll be learning with the third years?"

"That is not going to be a problem. I have a meeting with the teachers later on in the day; they are going to be giving me a test to see if I'll be able to take class with the rest of the fifth years." The proud smile never left his face.

"So what else did this Romulus teach you?" she was a bit sceptical, how much could this person teach Harrison in just a summer. But as she looked at him more closely, she could see it. Harrison held a sort of confidence in him now, something that she had not noticed right away.

"Maybe I'll tell you some other time. But for now I want to talk about your summer." He tells her, hoping that she will leave the topic of him alone for a little while. "Why weren't we allowed to communicate with each other?"

Hermione looked away from him, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see her face and the flash of unnecessary guilt that flashed through her eyes. "We were at the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. It's a secret organization that Dumbledore had started during the first war against You-Know-Who. Everyone was there Harry, including Sirius. He was losing his mind with worry when we never returned with you. He started yelling at Dumbledore, threatening him if he didn't bring you to him. It was a sight, from what I heard, Molly shooed us away, but Fred and George had made this product that would allow you to hear on others conversation."

Harrison had kind of missed the way Hermione would talk without pauses. He was about to respond to her when he heard the first footsteps of the morning. There was no need for them to finish their conversation, everything Harrison had needed to talk about was taken care of, now all he needed to do was talk to Ron who probably wouldn't be up for another hour or so.

"I really hope you know what you're doing." Harrison tells her before getting up from the chair and left of the common room.

There was something to be admired about being in Syltherin, there were not that many students in Syltherin House so the upper years had rooms of their own, something Harrison desperately wanted for himself. As much as he loved sharing a room with four other boys he needed his private space more than ever and he knew just the place. He hadn't been down in the Chamber of Secrets since Ginny Weasley had been possessed by the memory of Tom Riddle. The castle was still silent this early in the morning which Harrison liked, he didn't need anyone seeing him go into the girls bathroom on the second floor, not that anyone would know the significance of it but word would get around and the last thing he needed was for Dumbledore to hear about it. That was a conversation that he didn't want to get into.

He was surprised to make it into the Chamber without seeing Moaning Myrtle, the sad ghost of a girl who had died half a century ago. It was still as disgusting as it had been the first and only time he had been there, but hoping that would change within the next few weeks. He looked down at all of the old decayed rodent bones and banished them without a second thought making the dank chamber look that much better. Once he got to the main room or what he perceived to be the main room he saw the large basilisk laying still half in the water like it had been in second year when he killed it. It really was a magnificent creature and he wished that it hadn't tried to kill him, but he would not let any part of her go to waste. Romulus had taught Harrison how to harvest creatures while he studied Potions,

Harrison had moved the great snake to the other side of the chamber, he did not have the time or the proper materials to harvest the creature, he would need to go and buy these things during their next Hogsmead trip. Harrison sighed and looked around, this place was a mess; he looked to the stone walls filled with cracks and water damage. The water from the Black Lake was seeping into the chamber and neither Tom Riddle nor Syltherin himself did anything to correct it. He looked down at the water puddled everywhere and quickly banished it just as he had done with the rodent bones that were littered about. Harrison had cast a drying spell before fixing the cracks in the walls, hoping that it would hold until he could find a stronger spell.

He looked at the large statue of Salazar Syltherins Grandfather, the man who had taught him everything, or so the story went. "Open." He hissed out, watching with a satisfied smile as the large mouth opened up for him.

He took his time walking through the open mouth he wanted this experience to last before he had to go and take this placement tests. The stones walls held large torch lights, Harrison didn't hesitate to take one before continuing on his way. By the time he had made it to the end of the corridor he had passed eight rooms; none of the labelled, those were something he would need to explore on a further date. But at the end there was one large double door that he pushed through leading him into what he believed to be a common room. Harrison looked around to find three more rooms, but once again he hadn't the time for a proper exploration. He would definitely make time for it tomorrow, for now he needed to focus more on blending in, something that never seemed to work for him before.

Breakfast had started without him; Harrison was hoping to make it before than, even though they hadn't started classes yet it seemed that the students were already getting themselves into a routine for the next nine months. Harrison was hoping that no one particularly Ron would notice when he walked in, the last thing he wanted was to start a scene like he knew would happen. Ron was too loud for his own good. No one wanted to hear him from across the hall. There was a seat open between him and Hermione, but he decided that he was going to try his best and be subtle about it; Harrison was anything but subtle. He had taken the empty seat beside Hermione and Neville, who looked as though he could use a little attention.

"Mornin' mate." Harrison said jovially, hoping to lift the sad boys' spirit.

"Mornin' Harry." Neville said with a small smile. "Are you okay? I heard that you had people out looking for." He wasn't saying it out of nosiness or curiosity, he was genuinely worried about the boy he considered his best friend, even if Harrison didn't see it that way.

"They tend to over react if you haven't noticed. I was perfectly fine where I had been for the entire summer." Harrison said, he was about to say more before Hermione had elbowed him in the arm as a warning.

He looked around to see a small first year Hufflepuff coming towards him with a letter clutched tightly in her little hands. Harrison looked at her with a gentle smile, waiting for her to hand over the letter, but it seemed that she was having a little trouble being so close to the Boy Who Lived. After a moment or so he finally decided to take pity on her.

"Is that for me?" he asked.

"Uh huh." She said softly nodding her head.

"May I have it?"

She nods her head but doesn't pass it over. Harrison looks to Neville and motions for him to push over some. He moves over as well, making enough space between him and Hermione to sit down "What's your name?" he asked her, as he motions her to sit down beside him.

"Marina Sparrow."

"Well it is lovely to meet you Marina Sparrow." Looking at her now he can see that she is new to the castle and clearly over-whelmed by being asked personally by Headmaster Dumbledore to take a personal letter to Harry Potter, the boy who defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort when he was still just a babe. Harrison could feel all the eyes on him, but he wasn't paying them any attention, his attention on the small girl in front of him who still held his letter firmly in her hands. "Have you already eaten?" he asked, offering her some of the food from his plate.

"No, sir." She told him, her voice shaky from nervousness. She had never met a celebrity before, she never expected him to be so nice to her.

"Well we can share mine while you tell me all about your first night in Hufflepuff. And please Marina, call me Harrison." He pushed a fork towards her and told her to dig in.

In all honesty he was in no rush to read whatever Dumbledore had written, which was probably only a nicely written demand to meet him in his office once breakfast is over. The last person Harrison wanted to talk to was Dumbledore who is forever meddling in his life when he has no right to do so. When he finally took his eyes off the young child who was eating off his plate slowly he saw his entire house staring at him which a particular expression on their faces. Like they couldn't believe that he was being so nice to a tiny first year that was nervous and even a little scared to be in his presence. He looked around with a raised eyebrow daring any one of them to say something about it. He noticed Hermione had a soft smile on her face, liking the changes she was seeing her best friend. How ever, when he looked past Hermione he saw Ron looking down at his food with a scowl on his face.

Marina hadn't said much, and when she did speak Harrison had to move closer to hear what she was saying. Harrison couldn't get a lot out of her, but he was going to try. He liked little Marina and he was going to make sure that her experience at Hogwarts was a good one. Not many students have a good time at school and Harrison hoped that he could change that soon. He did not want another student to end up like Moaning Myrtle. If that girl hadn't been constantly bullied than she wouldn't have been in the bathroom when Tom Riddle was entering the Chamber of Secrets with his basilisk, she could have hopefully lived a full life. Students were beginning to disperse all going their separate ways; Marina looked up at Harrison and smiled shyly at him before leaving the table to follow the other first year Hufflepuff students to get a tour of the castle.

Harrison opened the letter; he didn't need to read it to know what it said. It looked up at the front table to see that Dumbledore was no longer there. He sighed heavily, not wanting to have this conversation with a man that he used to look up to, used to trust with his life. He looked past Hermione to Ron who was stuffing his face still. When Hermione noticed where his attention was, she hit him on the arm to grab the hungry boy's attention.

"What?" he asked with his face full of food.

Harrison shook his head at Hermione's disgusted face; this was a sight that she should have been used to by now, after five years of seeing the same picture three times a day you would think she would become immune to long before now. "I need to go talk with Dumbledore, but after wards meet me in the common room, I want to talk with you." Harrison told him getting up from the table.

"No problem mate." Ron told him with a genuine smile. He had missed his best friend this summer.

Harrison walked through the crowded corridors to the Headmasters Office. He looked at the ancient gargoyles that guarded the staircase and said the password quickly, wanting this over as soon as possible. Seeing as Dumbledore was expecting him he did not bother to knock, he was done showing this man common courtesy. "You wanted to see me Headmaster." He drawled out, moving to sit down in one of the chairs across from him.

"Yes, Harry my boy. You gave us all quite a scare when we could not locate you." He told him, with a jolly smile and a twinkle in his sky blue eyes. "Where have you been, we were sure that Voldemort had found you. Lemon drop?" he asked holding out his always present bowl of yellow candies.

"No," Harrison said referring to the candy. "As for where I was its really not any of your concern, Headmaster Dumbledore, but just for your own peace of mind I never left Privet Drive and you know that because the wards you have on the street would have told you." His tone was more than accusing and Dumbledore could hear it.

"Now Harry, what I do, I do in your best interest to keep you out of harms way. Ever since the resurrection Voldemort's followers are getting bolder. Your relatives home is truly the safest place for you to be." His voice was soothing, but to Harrison it was anything but.

"I can honestly tell you that I am never going back to the Dursley's ever again. That is not _my_ home. And as for doing what is best for me, you're the Headmaster at my school and nothing more. The days where I would follow you and do exactly as you say are gone. You have been manipulating me my entire life and it ends here. I am not the naïve boy that I was last year, I know a lot of things, things that you tried to hide from me, things that I have a right to know, things that were never yours to keep from me. I will not tell you where I have been all summer and using legitimacy on me will not work. As of now you will not call me into your office unless it is related to school, my life is my own and it has nothing to do with you."

"Harry, I do not know where've you been or who you've been with but they are clearly the ones manipulating you. How could you trust them, for all you know they could have taken you to Voldemort? You not can be reckless with your life, you are far too important; there is an entire nation depending on you."

"And there is," Harrison sighed. "An entire nation depending on a young boy to fight for them, when they are giving him nothing to fight for, I am a still just a child, though you only seem to see it when it is convenient for you." He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. "Is that really the world that you want to live, one where people never take responsibility for the messes they create? They just create prophecies in hope that someone else will do their bidding so they never have dirty hands."

Dumbledore looked shocked at the mention of the prophecy. "How do you know of the prophecy?"

Harrison looked at the Headmaster with a small smile on his face. "So I may have lied a tad. I did leave Privet Drive. I went to Gringotts and boy did they have a lot to tell me." He stopped to chuckle, this talk was not going the way Dumbledore had foresaw it. "In my opinion prophecies have always been subjective, they can have many meanings? Why are you so sure that I was the child? It could have been a child who was already born, or a child how hasn't been born yet or a child you don't even know. I don't get it, for being such great wizards you and Tom don't really think do you?" Harrison asked a contemplative look on his face.

"Don't you see what is happening Harry? This was why I warned you to stay with your relatives, there are many dangers out in the world, not all of them harm you physically or magically, some harm you mentally, who ever you were with did this to you, but I can help you Harry." Dumbledore was so sure that Harrison was still his boy through and through, that he would eventually succumb once more to his whims. But what he didn't realize is that Harrison was finally thinking clearly for the first time in a long time. He was not about to let anyone manipulate him again, not Voldemort and especially not Dumbledore.

"If that is all you wanted to talk about than I think we are finished Headmaster. My business is my own and if I decide to share it with you it will be on my terms. Good Day." Harrison told him stiffly before leaving the office, he was sure that this would not be their last conversation; Dumbledore was the kind of man who never gave up.

Walking into the Gryffindor common room all Harrison wanted to do was sit down in front of the fire but he knew that he had one more conversation to get through before he could even think about relaxing himself. He was expecting the stares after all of the news articles about him in the _Daily Prophet_, and he knew better than to be able to count on even his own House, there have been multiple times when they had turned their backs and shunned him for things that were beyond his control. He ignored their stares to look around for Ron, who was sitting in the far corner with Hermione leaning over papers and looking tense. He straightened his shoulders and made his way over. Hermione saw him coming before Ron did and make up an excuse to leave. This was not something that she wanted to be in the middle of. She had given Harrison's arm a gentle squeeze as she passed wishing him good luck.

Ron knew what Hermione's hasty departure meant. Harry was finally here to talk to him. In hopes to keep their friendship going Hermione had talked to Ron also about Harry's changes and what it means for the three of them while he had gone to see the Headmaster. In all honestly Ron wasn't that surprised; over the summer he knew that a lot of things were going to change and are changing now. Voldemort finally had a body of his own and there was nothing to stop him from gaining more followers and more power. Harrison wasn't the only one who needed to grow up, Hermione had always been the grown up, the responsible one, but now they all needed to step up if they didn't want to bow down to Voldemort.

Ron was the second youngest child out of seven, he and his little sister Ginny were babied even after they had begun attending Hogwarts School, he never had to take responsibility for anything because no one ever gave him any, no one ever believed that he could handle it, but Harrison believed in him and that was all that mattered. He didn't want to lose either of his friends because of something as petty as childish jealously, he hadn't had much growing up and was usually jealous because he always wanted what everyone else had, he wanted to be accepted like everyone else, but a lot of wizards and witches look down on the entire Weasley clan because an uncle of his had squandered their entire fortune over night fifty years back sending them into poverty.

Harrison took a seat across from Ron so he could look him in the face. "We've been mates for a long time, Ron. You were the first friend that I have ever made, and you have always stuck by me, last year excluded of course. I thought that I would have been able to forgive that because I know how you are, but I never thought that you would be that way with me and over something not worth the energy. You are my brother Ron and I know that brothers fight but you would not even let me talk to you and when you did you ignored everything I said. It was like you didn't know who I was. I have been risking my life since I came to Hogwarts, why would you think I volunteered? For the money and the glory? Money I already have, and why would I want more glory when the glory I do have I don't even want.

"I haven't realized it until recently because I never really paid attention before, but I have been walking on eggshells around you and even Hermione at one point when it comes to school work. I remember this one time during History of Magic I had marked higher than Hermione, she didn't outwardly show it, but she was so upset with me, because I had done better than her, this was second year, our friendship was still new and even after all that had happened with the philosophers stone we were still feeling each other out. She would talk to me but I could tell that she wasn't only mad at me but at her self as well because if she is not the smartest than what is she?

"You may not realize this but jealousy is shown so clearly on your face even if you think you may be hiding it. You guys were my friends and I didn't want you mad at me, I didn't want to lose what I had, so I made sure that I never surpassed her and I made sure it was just dismal enough to please you. I know that's not what the two of you wanted but that is what happened because I wasn't thinking about myself, I never thought about myself, but I am now. I don't think that I can be your friend anymore Ron."

Ron had never been the emotional one out of the three, but he had never been closer to tears than he was now. The way he saw things, becoming Harrison's friend was his biggest accomplishment. It proved that he was worth something in his childish mind, that he was better than others because Harry Potter could have chosen to be friends with anyone, sure they rode on the train together, but he stayed closed, listened to him as he talked, they went on amazing adventures together. They had become brothers and it was not something that Ron wanted to jeopardize, but he had without even trying. As he listened to Harrison talk nothing seemed to make sense, Ron liked to think that he knew Harrison better than anyone else, Hermione not included. He knew that he boy in front of him would never deliberating put himself in danger to win a prize. He knew Harrison hated the attention that being the Boy Who Lived brought, why would he want more and why would he want to compete when there was a very real chance of him dying which is why the tournament had been abolished a hundred years ago. He can not understand why he had acted so jealous towards Harrison, the one boy who never asked for anything.

"I really want to stay being your friend, Harry. I will do whatever it takes to remain by your side. I never meant to hold you back like that, I have always been a slow learner, Hermione has been helping me, look." He says showing Harrison the papers that he had been stressing over. Harrison leaned over the desk to see what Ron was trying to show him. He had taken himself out of _Care of Magic Creatures_ and _Divination_ and had signed up for _Ancient Runes_ and _Arithmancy_. "Yeah, I'll have to take it with the third years but its something that I could actually use in the future." He looked a little sheepish, but Harrison was glad that he was finally taking his life seriously.

"That's good Ron, have you given any thought as to what you want to do?" Harrison asked him.

"After everything we have been through so far I have been leaning towards being an Auror, but I'm not sure yet. You?" he asked.

"Haven't the faintest." He lied.

"You know, Hermione told me kind of what this was going to be about, and I am glad she told me first and not you. I was really angry and I knew after that there would have been no way to salvage our friendship. I didn't understand at first but now I do and even though we are growing a part and changing that doesn't have to mean its over, we just have to take the time to get to know each other all over again."

"But that's the thing, you shouldn't have to change who you are, if the roles were revered I wouldn't be able to do, try to conceal apart of myself. I have been doing it for year unknowingly and I am not going to do that anymore. The summer gave us all a chance to change and grow but sometimes that it not enough, people outgrow others all of the time. They were what they needed at that stage in their life and they have served their purpose, there is nothing wrong with that. While I am glad that you want to continue being my friend, the fact that you would change who you are for doesn't sit right with him, you should want that for yourself, not because you think its what someone else wants or needs. Do you think that maybe I have served my purpose with you as well?"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, but was afraid of the answer he would be given.

"You were exactly what I needed Ron, and I was exactly what you needed. You were overshadowed by your older brothers' success. What ever you did they had already done five times over, you needed something that was yours, something that they couldn't take away. You wanted to feel worthy, but its not about proving yourself to your family, its about proving your worth to yourself. You have come along way Ronald Weasley but I believe that you can go further than you think you can. Plus, you will always have Hermione, and its not as though I am going to cut you out of my life completely, I'll still be there for you if you need me, if that's what you want. But I have to start thinking about myself and so do you. Everything that you want is in your reach; you just have to work for it. And who knows, maybe when we're older and we see each other we call reminisce about the good days before we had jobs and families."

"You're my best friend Harry." Ron said sadly knowing that he would never find another friend like Harry.

Harrison sighed. "You're my best friend too, which is why I have to do this, there are things that I know how that I sometimes wish I didn't, but I do so now I have to act and that may not be in the best interest of everyone around me. A lot of people are going to hurt and a lot of people are going to be angry. I think that you'll be one of them Ron because you hold certain beliefs like Molly and Arthur. Besides I realized that I can not count on you to have my back like before, I don't know how I can. Besides once you figure out what I am about to, you will not agree and you will fight me. It'll lessen the blow for both of us if we aren't as close as we used to be."

Ron knew there was nothing that would change Harrison's mind. He wasn't quite sure what he had been talking about, he knew it had nothing to do with Voldemort and he wasn't going to ask, but he did have to know one thing. "What was it that you needed from me?"

Harrison smiled friendly smile at him. "We were a friend to me and showed me how to be a friend in return. You gave me a sense of family, something that I thought I would never have until I was old enough to have my own. You trusted me even when you knew that I had no idea what I was doing. I was leading you into danger and followed me anyway. You were more than I could have hoped for Ron. Thank you." He stuck his hand out in front of Ron hoping that he would take. "I don't want to part on bad terms."

Ron took his hand and squeezed it firmly, letting Harrison know that they were okay. "I hope that we'll still be able to talk sometimes." They gave each other sad smiles before Harrison took his leave, glad that things had worked out for the best.


End file.
